NTSB Wants Safer Medical Flights

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It often takes the FAA quite some time to enact rules to address issues on the NTSB's list. Jujst as one example, the fuel/air mixture issue addressed in the second paragraph of the bulletin stems from the crash of TWA flight 800, which occurred on 17 July 1996, with the NTSB probable cause report released on 23 August 2000. At least the NTSB is now paying more attention to the issue, and having it on their list will certainly bring more attention to medical flight safety.
>From AVwebFlash, Volume 14, Number 44b, http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1241-full.html#199085

NTSB Wants Safer Medical Flights 
  The NTSB this week issued its annual list of "Most Wanted Safety Improvements,"
and topping the list for aviation: Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Flights, making the list for the first time. "Although the Board has
issued recommendations to improve EMS safety, the FAA has not
implemented the changes," the NTSB said.
"In the last 11 months, there have been nine EMS accidents, resulting
in 35 fatalities." The board also wants to improve runway safety by
implementing better information and alerts, and requiring pilots to
calculate landing distances based on current information. Other items
on the list were better practices for flying in icing conditions, crew
resource management training, and crew member fatigue. The board would
also like to see widespread use of image recorders in cockpits, even in
smaller aircraft that are not now required to have recording devices,
to help in post-accident analyses.
One item that was on last year's list has been resolved --
"Eliminate Flammable Fuel/Air Vapors in Fuel Tanks on Transport
Category Aircraft." The FAA enacted a rule in July that requires
fuel/air mixtures in all fuel tanks to be below a prescribed
flammability level for all newly manufactured aircraft that have more
than 30 seats. "All of these safety-related issues highlighted in the
Most Wanted List should be addressed promptly," said board chairman
Mark Rosenker. "Though we are encouraged by progress being made,
resulting in some items being removed from the list, several of these
safety concerns have been on this list since its inception."


      

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